If you build it, they will come

SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, MARCH 1, 2011:  Decent communications and facilities are a must for locals and tourists alike but it seems they are beyond the scope of the powers-that-be.

SYDNEY changed forever in the early hours of September 24, 1993, when the president of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, announced that ''The winner is Sydney''. Significant activity followed, with investment in new public spaces such as Sydney Olympic Park and new infrastructure such as ANZ Stadium, the Eastern Distributor and Airport Link. The 16 days of the 2000 Olympic Games were a triumph, with the city putting its best foot forward to an adoring world. Tourists were welcomed with open arms, traffic flowed freely and public transport ran like clockwork.

The culmination of years of work, the Games were rightly recognised as the best ever. However, rather than marking the beginning of a new era of growth for Sydney and for NSW, they were instead a full-stop. The opportunities many expected to materialise from the Games didn't and we have no-one to blame but ourselves. Planning for the Games was meticulous but planning and funding to capitalise on the Olympic legacy was all but non-existent.

Leading into the Olympics, NSW topped the nation in economic performance and employment but the story since is not so rosy, with economic growth in NSW lagging behind the annual national growth rate. Employment growth has been 15 per cent, compared to 24 per cent in Victoria and 36 per cent in Queensland, while the cost of congestion in Sydney has risen by 75 per cent. International visitors whose main destination is NSW have grown by 11 per cent, while Victoria's and South Australia's have grown by 66 per cent, Western Australia's by 35 per cent and Queensland's by 16 per cent.

Yet although NSW is not blessed with the mineral riches of Queensland and Western Australia, it remains by far the biggest contributor to the national economy, with about 32 per cent of gross domestic product and national employment. Of that, Sydney makes up the majority, so it makes sound economic sense to invest in infrastructure to help Sydney's economy grow. When Sydney is running well, the entire country benefits.

Sydney is primarily a service economy, which makes transport, tourism and business infrastructure essential. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop a massive harbourfront site at Barangaroo - off-limits for decades but to be returned as a public domain - including commercial, residential, entertainment, recreational and cultural facilities. Barangaroo will provide about 40 per cent of Sydney's forecast demand for office space over the next decade, as well as generating 6000 permanent new jobs on top of 3000 jobs during construction.

The hotel planned for Barangaroo will become an international icon, a destination in itself that will attract visitors from around the country and around the world. It will also be the first new five-star hotel built in the CBD since before the Olympics. As with the Sydney Opera House, we have the chance to create something special, something unique that will join the ranks of the world's most recognisable buildings and reinforce Sydney's position as a city of bold vision. And, as with the Opera House, some people are objecting to the proposal, putting their own concerns ahead of the good of the city. It's time for the knockers and the blockers to stand aside and let this important project commence.

We need to invest in better events and entertainment facilities. Business events attract high-yield visitors who stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, visit attractions, use taxis and go shopping. Many arrive early or stay on for a few extra days, bringing family members with them for a holiday in a regional destination, adding still more to their economic contribution. It's vital we have facilities that allow us to compete with other cities in our region, many of which have invested heavily in new or refurbished and expanded convention and exhibition facilities. And we need world-class performance spaces with capacity to attract premiere shows and top international artists.

Having a strong events calendar is crucial to driving tourist numbers throughout the year, helping to smooth out variations in seasonal demand. Since its inception in 2007, Events NSW has set about building a year-round calendar that provides reasons for people to visit the state, especially at traditionally quiet times of the year. The adoption of key anchor events provides certainty for tourism operators planning promotional activities and staffing, while marketing our events through a single body streamlines the process for corporate partnerships and public information campaigns.

Supporting events will also help foster a creative community in NSW by giving artists platforms to display their works, from musical and theatre performances to art installations. It also gets Sydneysiders out and about, supporting local businesses and strengthening their ties with their community.

We need to commit to a long-term transport plan and enshrine that plan in legislation to give residents, local councils and businesses certainty to make long-term decisions. Commuters are facing increasingly crowded services, with plan after plan announced and then shelved, when increasing public transport capacity is essential to cope with Sydney's burgeoning population. Regional residents have waited far too long for critical road upgrades such as the Pacific and Princes highways, which also facilitate tourism visitation through improving access.

Cruising is the fastest-growing sector of the tourism industry, generating $1.2 billion in economic activity in 2009-10. With that figure expected to rise to $3 billion within a few years, Sydney will need additional cruise ship facilities to cope with both rising demand and the latest generation of international superliners, most of which will not fit under the Harbour Bridge. There is also a need for a cruise shipping terminal west of the bridge served by reliable public transport links, allowing visitors quick access to Sydney's major tourist attractions.

As a service industry, tourism is labour-intensive, providing 4.8 per cent of NSW's direct employment and a further 3.3 per cent indirectly - that's more than 275,000 jobs. Tourism's employment contribution in regional and rural areas is even higher, accounting for 11 per cent of direct employment. It provides opportunities and training for young people across the state, giving them transferable skills. Improving transport links to regional areas will help to bring economic activity and business opportunities that will help to further strengthen and diversify the NSW economy, thereby aiding state development.

Sydney Harbour is one of the world's great natural tourism drawcards, yet our efforts to capitalise on it leave a lot to be desired. There's a lack of co-ordination in planning and promoting the attractions and experiences on and around the harbour, with myriad agencies involved in controlling the foreshore precincts. Themed signage would better link these destinations, improving the visitor experience.

The harbour islands need to be more accessible, with better opportunities for visitors to enjoy these unique locations. The popularity of overnight accommodation on Cockatoo Island clearly demonstrates the potential of the islands. A hop-on, hop-off ferry service linking the harbour islands with other key harbourside attractions would provide visitors with more choice and flexibility.

Regional areas will also benefit from investment in visitor infrastructure, such as improved signage, walking tracks and interpretive centres, which will generate additional revenue that can be reinvested in conservation activities.

Tourism is arguably the most competitive industry on the planet. Virtually every country on Earth has a tourism industry and many have woken up to the fact that tourism can make a major contribution to their development, with tourists injecting cash into the economy, creating employment and opportunities. This competition and the relative youth of some of our key competitors make the development of new product a crucial factor for the state's tourism industry over the next decade. As a destination with relatively high wages and input costs, we need top-quality products and experiences so we can offer potential visitors a viable value proposition.

NSW is still Australia's premier state and Sydney is still its premier city but other places are catching up and have outperformed us over recent years. There's work to be done if we are to retain that No.1 mantle.

Bruce Baird is the chairman of the Tourism & Transport Forum; John Lee is its chief executive.